Tim Banks is the CEO of APM, a Canada wide construction and property development company, with its head office in Charlottetown, PEI. My family has lived on PEI for over eight generations and I was born at the Prince County Hospital in Summerside, PEI. I am hoping someone will soon develop a blood test to authenticate when you actually become an "Islander" as I am still having problems explaining where I'm from?

Monday, February 8, 2010

I don't know if everyone has read the latest article in last Saturday's Guardian by The Meddler (Alan Holman) but if you're looking for something painfully funny then you should... he questions a number of issues surrounding the PEI Tory Party's Leadership Application Form http://www.pcparty.pe.ca/documents/PartyLeadershipApplicationFormv5.pdf which just happens to be 30 pages long... there's a couple of great lines in the article particularly the closing shot at the Feds in "One Danny Williams is enough"... when you really think about a 30 page application you really have to wonder what kind of "red tape regime" a new Tory leader would bring with them if this is any indication of how they operate... I wonder if the crowd around Olive are just trying to paint a "smoke screen" for potential candidates like Mark Ledwell (as some would suggest) who's been working off the Island for a few years... the process seems a bit over done to me.... I've highlighted a few lines which are "classic Holman"...One Danny Williams is enoughTHE MEDDLERALAN HOLMAN The GuardianWednesday's Guardian featured a headline about how the Island Conservatives are going to hold an inquisition, oops sorry, an investigation into the past and background of anyone who dares to run for the party leadership. One presumes the Conservatives feel this is necessary given the influx of so many new people, and the ensuing dramatic changes to Island society. There are now more people on the Island than ever and if this keeps up we will soon have as many people in the province as there are in some of those small cities in Ontario. Since 9/11/2001, with the exception of the airport, we have been generally free of the security paranoia that is prevalent elsewhere. Maybe we shouldn't be. However, it is surprising Island Conservatives felt the need to lead the way by tightening up their leadership selection process. But then again, you just don't know how many crazies are out there, salivating to be leader. Gone are the days when a few party stalwarts could approach two or three people to see if they'd like to lead one of the Island's major political parties. Now that is so passe, so un-progressive. No, no, no. If you have to apply and fill out an application form to sit on a provincial board, such as the Heritage Foundation, then the equally progressive Conservatives are absolutely right to require a similar onerous process to select their leader, given the large crowd that's interested in the job. Looking back at what came out of the old process - Angus MacLean, Pat Binns, it is obvious a new system is needed. However, the 30-page application form each applicant is required to fill out might be a tad excessive. Maybe too cute by half. The Guardian indicated some of the questions delve fairly deeply into the private life of any prospective candidate. This prompted party president, Sylvia Poirier, to say, "it is very pointed and some would say it is intrusive, well it is . . . but we're looking for transparency." Poirier says the questionnaire is based on one used by the federal party. That's the Conservative Party of Canada, the party that dropped the word progressive from its name to satisfy the Reform elements when the two parties united. The Island branch kept the name, the Progressive Conservative Party of P.E.I. And most, not all, but most Islanders who call themselves Conservatives come from the progressive wing of the party. But given the success of the Reform Conservatives in Ottawa it sort of makes sense the locals would want to ape what they do. The questionnaire seems quite interested in the applicant's citizenship. Coming right after the initial questions about the applicant's name and marital status are a series of questions about citizenship. They don't just want to know if the applicant is a Canadian citizen, they want to know if it was by birth, and if not, when did the applicant become a Canadian? The applicant is also required to list all countries they are, or have been a citizen of, and any countries "which assert obligations of citizenship over you." All those Islanders holding Irish passports so they can get work in Europe might not be pure enough for this crowd. The questionnaire doesn't just want to know where the applicant resides, but also, where they have resided in the past eight years (perhaps they're trying to determine what a shiftless sot the applicant is), and only after all this has been filled out, does the questionnaire get to the meat of the matter - Question 10, "How long have you lived or worked in P.E.I.?" Given that 'or', this could cause prospective applicants some consternation. What are they really asking? Would they prefer an applicant who worked here, but lived elsewhere? Or do they want someone who lives here, but doesn't work? Hard to know. After the usual inquiries about community organizations and references, there are almost 30 questions which probe the applicant's business or professional affairs and the general conduct of the applicant's life. Taxes all paid? No lawsuits or messy divorces? Criminal record? No charges of harassment or discrimination? And surely, surely you never participated in an illegal strike? When these Reform Conservatives draft a questionnaire they are very thorough. They have to be, after all, Island Progressive Conservatives are selecting a provincial lieutenant to the Glorious Leader. Whoever is the chosen one, they will be expected to toe the line. One Danny Williams is enough.

The liberals should look closely at what the Tories are doing.... the days of Angus MacLean and Pat BINNS are long gone..we now have facebook,MSN,twitter ,blogs,citizenjournalists,phones with cameras,instant communication etc...secrets are very hard to hide ..personal faults ,lifestyle and family issues ..especially here on the island are in the public domain in no time....they are being progressive and practicing good juris prudence.....this will be the norm down the road.....Comparing an intelligent cunning serial killer and rapist who police behavourial specialists consider a rare find... to leadership screening is like comparing apples and watermellons....